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The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has delivered his verdict on Aston Villa boss Dean Smith’s future.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days and weeks have suggested that the Villa manager is coming under increased pressure following a difficult start to the Premier League that has seen the Midlands club lie in the bottom half of the table.

And now, Preece has suggested that the next two games in the Premier League – against West Ham and Southampton respectively – could hold the key.

He said: “Villa have lost five from nine so pressure’s beginning to mount on the boss, of course it is. Smith’s once-indestructible grip on the job loosened as soon as Wolves won it in stoppage time 10 days ago.

“I dread to think what could happen if Villa lose their next two before the international break, which will take them to seven defeats from 11. That simply cannot happen. The next two games are huge in terms of Villa’s season – even at this early stage.

“I do believe Smith’s the right man for the job. He must prove his credentials once again here, though. It’s down to the boss to get a huge reaction from his players now. They badly let him down at Arsenal after he backed them to the hilt in his pre-match presser.”

Make or break for Dean Smith

After picking up an impressive win away at Manchester United a few weeks ago, things have rapidly taken a turn for the worse for Smith and Villa.

They followed up that 1-0 victory at Old Trafford with three successive defeats in the Premier League, and the manner of each of those losses would be the real shock.

Spurs were in a bad spell of form themselves under Nuno Espirito Santo, the Wolves defeat came as a result of a truly remarkable late collapse after leading 2-0, and the Arsenal loss was galling for its first-half shambles.

It’s no surprise then that the pressure has well and truly ramped up on Smith, and if things don’t improve markedly in terms of both their performances and results, then he could well find himself being one of the Premier League’s early managerial casualties.

Villa fans will be concerned about their side heading into this weekend.

Meanwhile, Villa must sell this star amid rival interest…

South Australia must hold on for another three sessions to prevent Victoria from cruising to victory in Adelaide

Cricinfo staff01-Nov-2009South Australia 292 & 2 for 120 (Harris 49*) trail Victoria 9 for 643 dec (Hodge 195, Rogers 149, McDonald 114) by 231 runs
Scorecard
Andrew McDonald, who didn’t see much action on the Ashes tour, found some early-season form with 114•Getty ImagesSouth Australia achieved their first goal of finishing the third day strongly but they must hold on for another three sessions to prevent Victoria from cruising to victory in Adelaide. After Brad Hodge’s 195 and Andrew McDonald’s 114 set them on track for a 351-run lead, the Bushrangers managed two wickets as the hosts reached 120, still needing 231 to avoid an innings defeat.Daniel Harris, the stand-in captain, responded well following Victoria’s 9 for 643 declared and was unbeaten on 49 while James Smith and Michael Klinger made starts. Smith was lbw to John Hastings for 45 before Klinger was bowled by Nannes on 20, leaving Harris to hope for some strong support as they try to force Victoria to bat again.McDonald wasn’t used much on the Ashes tour and he showed what he was capable of to follow the fine work of Hodge. After Hodge was caught in the gully off Peter George, having added another 26 in the opening session, Rob Quiney and Matthew Wade also fell before lunch. McDonald stayed in control and found the boundary 13 times before he was caught hitting out at Cullen Bailey.The wicket didn’t stop South Australia’s misery and the visitors waited until the lead passed 350 before ending the pain in the second session. Bailey collected 3 for 113 off 22.1 overs while Dan Christian returned 3 for 140.

According to The Evening Standard, Sergio Conceicao is on Tottenham’s shortlist to replace Nuno Espirito Santo as the club’s manager.

The Lowdown: Espirito Santo sacked

After just four months in charge, Nuno has been relieved of his duties at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as of Monday morning.

With Spurs eighth in the table and with just two wins in their last seven Premier League outings (Sky Sports), Daniel Levy and co seemingly had little choice put to part ways with the former Wolves boss.

The Latest: Spurs want Conceicao

As per this latest report from The Evening Standard, Spurs are interested in Conceicao, who is currently in charge of FC Porto.

The 46-year-old is joined on a shortlist for the role by Paulo Fonseca and Antonio Conte.

The Verdict: Strong pedigree

Conceicao may not be a familiar name to most in England, but he is doing an impressive job at Porto. Since arriving at the club in 2017, he has a 71% win rate (Transfermarkt) and has won five trophies overall, including two Portuguese league titles (Transfermarkt). Last season, his side reached the Champions League quarter-finals, defeating Juventus along the way and falling narrowly to eventual tournament winners Chelsea.

Spurs need a manager with an identity and a winning mentality, and those are two things Conceicao can boast. There are other targets on the club’s shortlist, of course, but the 46-year-old would be a good choice if that is the route Levy wants to take. Their last two managerial appointments from Portugal might have been short-lived, but the Porto boss seems to have the characteristics to make it work at Tottenham if he is given the reins.

In other news, Tottenham want to sign this centre-back

Pakistan’s captain Younis Khan has applauded Shahid Afridi for his Man-of-the-Match effort in the team’s comprehensive victory over New Zealand in the first ODI in Abu Dhabi

Cricinfo staff04-Nov-2009Pakistan’s captain Younis Khan has applauded Shahid Afridi for his Man-of-the-Match effort in the team’s comprehensive victory over New Zealand in the first ODI in Abu Dhabi. Afridi blasted 70 from 50 balls to help set up Pakistan’s 287 for 9 and then grabbed two wickets, including the key dismissal of Daniel Vettori, from consecutive balls in New Zealand’s chase.”He [Afridi] is a fantastic performer,” Younis said after the match. “The last couple of years he worked well with the bowling but now his batting is there so it’s good for Pakistan.”It was a complete professional performance led by the fantastic Afridi and [Kamran] Akmal. They changed the game after we were in trouble in the first ten overs.”There wasn’t much for New Zealand to celebrate in a match where they had Pakistan 0 for 2 but allowed a recovery and leaked 107 runs in the final ten overs. In reply, only three of New Zealand’s batsmen reached double figures and but for a 69-run stand between Vettori and Aaron Redmond, the result could have been even worse than the 138-run defeat.”We were on our way to restrict them to 220-230,” Vettori said. “But Afridi and Akmal batted very well and we strayed in the last 12 to 15 overs and in the batting Powerplay.”The win gives Pakistan an early lead in the three-match ODI series in Abu Dhabi before the sides head to Dubai for two Twenty20 internationals. Younis said it continued to be disappointing his team could not host matches in their own country.”Although we have a lot of supporters in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, we still need to play some games in Pakistan,” Younis said. “I hope that we’ll soon play again in Pakistan.”

James Tarkowski is one of the players that Newcastle United have a realistic chance of signing in January, according to The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards. 

The lowdown

Edwards and Telegraph colleague Mike McGrath reported in October that Newcastle would have a budget of around £50m for the mid-season transfer window.

The Magpies find themselves 19th in the Premier League after picking up only five points from their first 11 matches and Eddie Howe, whose appointment was confirmed on Monday, has been tasked with keeping them in the top flight.

The latest

Tarkowski will be into the final six months of his contract in January and has been told that he can leave if Burnley’s valuation is met.

Edwards also names four other potential options, including Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard, who he feels would be an ‘excellent addition’. Meanwhile, Harry Winks is ‘the sort of defensive midfield player Eddie Howe liked at Bournemouth’ and is a peripheral figure at Tottenham Hotspur.

A loan move for Chelsea’s Ross Barkley could also interest the new manager, while Atletico Madrid’s Kieran Trippier is ‘very keen’ to come back to England and would represent a ‘major upgrade’ on the existing full-back options, according to Edwards.

The verdict

If you add up the Transfermarkt valuations of the five players mentioned, it comes to £93.6m.

Loan moves for players like Barkley and Lingard could be possible, but it’s clear that the Mapgies will need to prioritise if they are to keep to that aforementioned budget.

Their biggest concern should be strengthening defensively given that their goal concession record is the second-worst in the Premier League. Adding top-flight proven players in Tarkowski and Trippier, as well as the protection of Winks, could be enough to keep them up if they can provide greater solidity to Newcastle’s back line.

In other news, one of Newcastle’s top Director of Football targets has reached a decision

Brett Lee’s chances of playing the first Test have all but disappeared after being ruled out of this week’s Sheffield Shield match at the SCG due to a recurrence of his elbow injury

Cricinfo staff16-Nov-2009Brett Lee’s chances of playing the first Test have all but disappeared after being ruled out of this week’s Sheffield Shield match at the SCG due to a recurrence of his elbow injury. Lee played in New South Wales’ one-day loss to Tasmania on Sunday but suffered a reaction to his elbow problem and was told to sit out of the four-day game that starts on Tuesday.The injury means Lee has little chance of making the squad for the first Test against West Indies, starting at the Gabba next Thursday, because he has no further chance to prove himself match fit before the Test. His strong Twenty20 and one-day form had brought him significantly into the reckoning for the Test team having not made it into the starting line-up during the Ashes.However, the elbow trouble forced him home from Australia’s ODI tour of India and he has not played a first-class game since the Ashes warm-up match against the England Lions in early July. Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus carried the pace attack in England and remain the likely frontline bowlers for the Gabba.Australia’s chairman of selectors, Andrew Hilditch, will be at the SCG for this week’s Sheffield Shield match and will also be keeping an eye on Test hopefuls Stuart Clark and Doug Bollinger. But in Lee’s absence the major interest will be in how Michael Clarke handles a four-day game having struggled with a back problem that prevented him playing for nearly two months.Clarke made his comeback in Sunday’s one-day match but lasted only 23 deliveries before being run out. The New South Wales coach Matthew Mott said Clarke was keen to spend plenty of time at the crease.”[Clarke] said it was hard to get into the [one-day] game,” Mott told the Sydney Morning Herald. “There’s nothing like being out in the middle and he’ll be better for the run. He’s keyed in for a lot of batting tomorrow and the Shield game will suit him. He can take a bit more time.”Clarke was named in the 12-man squad along with Phillip Hughes, who is pushing for a Test recall after being axed during the Ashes. Hughes hurt his hand while fielding on Sunday and went to hospital for x-rays but was cleared to take his place in the four-day clash.”He’s fine,” Mott said. “Thankfully the x-rays came back with no break. It was a bit of a scare but he’s in good spirits. A bit of ice the next few days and he’ll be fine. It’s very relieving for him and for us.”New South Wales squad Simon Katich (capt), Phillip Hughes, Phil Jaques, Michael Clarke, Usman Khawaja, Brad Haddin (wk), Steven Smith, Steve O’Keefe, Stuart Clark, Josh Hazlewood, Burt Cockley, Doug Bollinger.

Aston Villa coach Michael Beale has spoken to Charlton Athletic over the club’s managerial vacancy, it has been revealed.

The lowdown

New Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard brought Beale, part of his coaching staff at Rangers, to the Midlands.

It’s not the first time there’s been interest from a Football League Club this autumn.

Beale was a contender to replace Mick McCarthy at Cardiff City earlier this month, but the Bluebirds went with Steve Morrison in the end.

The former Liverpool Under-23 boss certainly isn’t short on admirers, with former Villan Stiliyan Petrov hailing him as an ‘incredible coach’ and a ‘powerful communicator’.

The latest

Speaking to London News Online, Charlton owner Thomas Sandgaard confirmed that there has been discussions with Beale.

But while he’s of course impressed with the 41-year-old’s CV, he suggested that he would be a less ‘ambitious’ appointment than some other of their candidates.

“He has a fantastic track record, especially on the supporting side. Of course we talked to Michael.

“We’ve also been a little more ambitious than that, in terms of the level of managers we’ve been reaching for.”

The verdict

After approaches from Cardiff and Charlton in relatively quick succession, Villa might be bracing themselves for further interest, as it certainly seems like a lower-league hot-seat is the next logical step in his coaching career.

And it would be a big blow if Beale was lured away, with one former Rangers player describing the ‘amazing’ coach as ‘the brains’ behind Gerrard’s success.

Encouragingly for Villa fans, though, Cardiff ultimately looked elsewhere, and Charlton appear to have reservations about his lack of experience too. Even though he’s earned a great deal of respect, perhaps he’s not thought to be totally ready to be the main man just yet.

In other news, fans react to Gerrard’s Tyrone Mings assessment.

Dermott Monteith, Ireland’s all-time highest wicket-taker, has died at the age of 66.

Cricinfo staff06-Dec-2009Dermott Monteith, Ireland’s all-time highest wicket-taker, has died at the age of 66.In a remarkable career he played 76 times for Ireland, taking 326 wickets at 17.37, including 47 in five matches in 1971, with his left-arm spin. He took five wickets in an innings on 27 occasions, and seven times took 10 wickets in a match. His best figures came in 1973 when he took 13 wickets against The MCC at Lord’s, including a 8 for 44 in the second innings as Ireland triumphed by seven wickets.His playing career with Ireland spanned 19 years from his debut in 1965 at Lord’s, until his last appearance in 1984 against Scotland. On both occasions he made an impact with the bat, rather than the ball, testament to his all-round ability. He scored 54 against the MCC on his debut, and made 95, his highest score, on his final appearance for his country. In total he made 1712 runs at 20.63 with nine half centuries and also captained Ireland 38 times.Middlesex spotted Monteith’s ability and he played for them during the 1981 and 1983 seasons, deputising for John Emburey and Phil Edmonds when they were on England duty. He played his first game for the county aged 38 and proved more than capable, taking 24 wickets in eight Championship appearances with a best of 5 for 60 against Essex.After his playing career ended Monteith took up a leading position in the administration of Irish cricket and became a national selector. Roy Torrens, his former team-mate and the current Ireland manager, commended the confidence and skill that characterised Monteith’s career.”Dermott was in many ways ahead of his time. He was a trail-blazer in every way. He was an innovative captain, and had no fear of failure. He was always looking to make things happen, and was great to play alongside. He was quite simply a magnificent cricketer, and he was a pioneer in many ways, being one of the first Irishmen in the modern era to make a mark in county cricket.”He was very highly regarded by his Middlesex colleagues, and on my travels with Ireland, I was often asked by Mike Brearley and John Emburey how he was doing.”I probably got to know Dermott better when we both were retired and travelling around as national selectors. He was great to have as a friend, and was marvellous company. My thoughts and prayers are with his family circle at this sad time.”David Williams, the Cricket Ireland chairman, added his tribute saying: “I learned of the death of Dermott Monteith with great sadness. He was one of our very greatest players and a much valued colleague in the administration of cricket in Ireland when his playing days were over.”

With Ange Postecoglou not appearing to be a manager who is afraid to give a number of Celtic’s most promising young talents a shot, with 18-year-old Dane Murray, 19-year-old Adam Montgomery, 20-year-old Liel Abada and 21-year-old Stephen Welsh all playing a considerable amount of football under the 56-year-old Bhoys boss this season, the future at Parkhead would appear to be incredibly exciting.

Indeed, Celtic currently have an extremely promising crop of young talents on the verge of breaking into the first-team setup, with the likes of 18-year-old Owen Moffat, 20-year-old Liam Shaw, 20-year-old Scott Robertson, 21-year-old Ewan Henderson and 21-year-old Osaze Urhoghide having all featured in Postecoglou’s matchday squads this term, albeit without making it onto the pitch.

However, one player who does not feature on either of these lists is that of 17-year-old Frankie Deane, despite the attacking midfielder arguably being one of the most talented young footballers of the current Celtic litter.

Indeed, the teenager has been highly impressing for the Celtic B side this season, none more so than in the club’s 4-2 win over Broomhill on Saturday afternoon, with the Daily Record’s Gabriel McKay reporting of the youngster’s display: “Diminutive playmaker Frankie Deane [is] standing head and shoulders above the fray in the first half, figuratively if not literally.

“Constantly demanding the ball – his anguished cries of ‘Still! Still! Still!’ ring around the near-empty stadium – the midfielder is always on the move, his eyes scanning from side to side as he looks to turn into the most dangerous spaces that appear. It’s he who opens the scoring, rolling his man, shuffling past another and firing low past Jamie Smith from the edge of the box.

“Deane only turned 17 in October, but his intelligent passing and movement speak of a player who could have a big future, and if you’re Team Colts you might question whether a player so small and slight would thrive on loan to a part-time team in League One or Two.”

Furthermore, McKay has also likened Deane’s style to that of Paul Scholes, Andrea Pirlo and Xavi, in that the 17-year-old is continuously scanning his options throughout the duration of a fixture in order to gain the best possible idea of what his next pass or move is going to be.

As such, it would certainly appear as if the young midfielder boasts an incredible amount of potential, and, if given the chance by Postecoglou, could well go on to save the 56-year-old millions of pounds in transfer fees in the future.

In other news: Get it done: “Outstanding” £8.4k-p/w ace drops big transfer claim, Celtic must act

Wayne Parnell, the left-arm paceman, is in line for a Test debut against England at the Wanderers with Friedel de Wet struggling with injury

Andrew McGlashan in Johannesburg09-Jan-2010Wayne Parnell, the left-arm paceman, is in line for a Test debut against England at the Wanderers with Friedel de Wet struggling to recover from the back injury he picked up at Cape Town.De Wet had an injection on the fourth day and was only able to bowl eight overs of medium pace on the final day as England survived with nine wickets down. Parnell, who was part of the squad for the first Test before being omitted, is the logical replacement and has impressed during his one-day and Twenty20 career and already has two five-wicket hauls in ODIs”We don’t know how Friedel de Wet will turn out, his chances don’t look very good but we will know more by Monday,” Mike Procter, the convenor of selectors, told Cricinfo and he added de Wet’s injury seriously hampered South Africa in Cape Town. “A crucial moment in the game was the injury to Friedel which he picked up in the first spell he bowled. That held us back a bit.”Parnell’s recall also seemingly spells the end of Makhaya Ntini’s Test career after he was dropped for the third Test although Procter wouldn’t be quite so final. “The door is never shut on anyone,” he said. “If he comes back and performs well of course he can get back, but the chances are not great because he hasn’t done very well domestically.”Ntini played for his domestic side, the Warriors, on Friday evening but only managed 1 for 41 from six overs in an MTN40 match at Centurion Park and has been widely tipped for a Kolpak deal in county cricket.Despite South Africa pulling up one wicket short of victory for the second time in the series, Procter was buoyed by the team’s improvement following the innings-and-98-run hammering in Durban.”The performance was tremendous,” he said. “We outplayed England, scored a huge amount of runs and were able to declare which says it all. We came very, very close. We have been one ball away from two different results [in the series] and I think we played much better.”In both games nine wickets down came about very quickly, England collapsed and lost wickets right at the end. It wasn’t as though we had a long period to bowl when there were only a few wickets to go.”